PANAMA CITY: A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Panama, prompting warnings of potentially dangerous tsunami waves across parts of Central and South America and the Pacific region.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred Friday at a depth of 10 kilometers, with its epicenter near La Pitaloza in southern Panama, close to the Pacific coast.
Witnesses reported feeling the tremors in Panama City and the capital of neighboring Costa Rica.
Initial reports indicated no immediate casualties or property damage. Television footage in Panama showed people evacuating buildings following the earthquake.
The US tsunami warning system warned that dangerous waves could affect coastal areas of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico within the following three hours.
The system also issued a tsunami threat for Hawaii.
Authorities urged people in potentially affected coastal areas to follow official alerts and emergency instructions as the situation developed.
